1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of emergency breathing devices, and more particularly to an emergency air breathing system for kayaks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
People have been using kayaks as a means of water transportation for hundreds of years. Kayaks have a relatively flat bottom and are prone to tipping over. The tipping phenomenon is so common that most kayaks have a flexible skirt that creates a relatively water tight seal around the kayakers waist and around the top opening of the rigid body of the kayak. With this seal, a kayaker can flip upside down and then do a special rolling maneuver to right him or herself while the internal portion of the kayak remains relatively dry.
During this rolling maneuver there is obviously a period of time where the kayakers head is underwater. This is usually a short time period and many kayakers practice this rolling maneuver so that in a real life situation they can flip from the upside down position to the right side up position while holding their breath. New kayakers and even veterans sometimes have a hard time completing the roll over within one breath holding period. Therefore, it is a good idea to provide an emergency breathing tube or some other breathing device so that when the kayakers head is underwater he or she can take several breaths if necessary before successfully completing the rolling maneuver.
One such device has been introduced by the Radical Gear Company of Philadelphia, Pa. In its product the lower end of a breathing tube is supported by means of a foam tube holder on the lap of the kayaker. The breathing tube then extends up the skirt of the kayak and proceeds under the life jacket of the kayaker, terminating in a mouthpiece which is meant to be positioned to one side of the kayakers face. A second such device is described in German Patent DE 3931961 A1 to Schultz, where a tube extends up the skirt of the kayak, proceeds under the life jacket of the kayaker, and terminates in a mouthpiece in front of the kayaker""s face. While these configurations do give a degree of emergency breathing when the kayaker is submerged, there are some serious disadvantages to the designs.
One disadvantage is that because a kayaker is constantly moving and twisting, there is a tendency for the mouthpiece portion to migrate to an inappropriate position, such as under the life vest rather than above it. In this case the kayaker would have to take valuable time to reorient the mouthpiece to the proper position and, more importantly, the kayaker has to take at least one hand off the paddle thereby increasing the chance of losing the paddle.
A further disadvantage of the breathing devices by Radical Gear Co. and Schultz is that neither the mouthpiece portion of the breathing tube nor the opposite end of the breathing tube is sealed. Therefore, the kayaker can receive incoming water which can potentially be breathed in by the kayaker. The tube must be purged of water before breathing. This action is difficult because of the length of the tube and the tendency of water to collect on the inside walls of the tube which can run back into the mouth of the kayaker.
In both the device by Radical Gear Co. and the German Patent (Schultz, DE 3931961 A1), a further disadvantage is that, by not being permanently attached to the kayak or the skirt, they are both prone to being left behind on shore. Weather and water conditions often deteriorate unexpectedly, resulting in an unanticipated need for an emergency breathing device.
An additional disadvantage of both the Radical Gear Co.""s device and the Schultz device is that both allow the kayaker to adopt a vulnerable position, where the head is lower in the water, and prone to impact with obstruction. The preferred position upon capsize is a tucked position where the face is as close to the kayak""s deck as possible.
Finally, there is a disadvantage in the prior art in that during the rolling maneuver, the torso and head of the kayaker must be free to bend to a series of extreme positions, first, to bend forward and to one side (the xe2x80x9cset-upxe2x80x9d position), then outstretched to this side, then sweeping to a position outstretched on the opposite side, and finally stretched backward so that when the roll is completed, the kayaker is lying, head back, on the aft deck. It is apparent that during this process, a tube of fixed length running from the mouth down the chest would limit the necessary upper body movements considerably.
An attempt to solve the emergency breathing problem for kayakers was proposed by Fred Schoettle in his U.S. Pat. No. 5,671,694 issued Sep. 30, 1997. This patent describes an emergency breathing device for kayakers in which a pair of air bladders are installed inside the body of the kayak. A thin flexible hose is attached to the bladders which terminates at its opposite end by a mouthpiece which has a hand operated on-off valve. A hook mounted to the side wall of the kayak secures the mouthpiece when not in use. The main problem with this design is that to use this system, the seal between the skirt and the deck must be violated. This would result in a significant amount of water flooding into the boat. Another problem is that the kayaker has to use two hands to remove the mouthpiece for use and to turn the valve to the flow position. This means that the kayaker has to let go of his or her kayak paddle to use the device. Losing ones paddle puts the kayaker in danger because he or she has to struggle to retrieve the paddle. In many cases, retrieving the paddle may quickly become impossible. Additionally, because of the length of the flexible tube, the kayaker may unintentionally get tangled in the tube as well has have difficulty in breathing due to the nature of the long thin tube. Finally, the proposed air bladders take up valuable space in the interior of the kayak and add complexity and cost to the emergency apparatus described.
Therefore, what is needed and what has been invented is a kayak having an emergency breathing device which overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art. What is further needed and what has been invented is a method for retrofitting existing kayaks to produce kayaks not possessing the disadvantages associated with the prior art.
One object of the invention is to provide a better emergency breathing system that allows a kayaker to breathe while underwater.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emergency breathing system that does not collect water while in the standby mode.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emergency breathing system that is easy for the kayaker to reach while under water.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emergency breathing system where the kayaker can not become dangerously entangled by the breathing tube while in the submerged position.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emergency breathing system which is normally available as needed.
Another object of the invention is to provide an emergency breathing system which is simple in construction and easy to manufacture.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following descriptions, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein, by way of illustration and example, preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed.
One embodiment of the invention is directed to an emergency air system for kayakers comprising a mouthpiece connected to a breathing tube which pierces the top surface of the kayak and is held in place perpendicularly to the top surface of the kayak, such as by a pair of opposed flat washers. The washers, or the like, are capable of being forced together by an internally threaded nut, or other standard securing means, that is capable of securing the breathing tube to a kayak skirt or to the upper deck of the kayak. The mouthpiece of the breathing tube contains a mouth-operated valve which is capable of opening the air passage of the breathing tube when needed, but preventing water from entering the tube when not needed. A hollow chamber is located below the mouthpiece which acts to catch and remove any purged water so that the water does not flow back into the kayaker""s mouth. The length of the breathing tube above the top surface of the kayak may be adjusted by loosening the threaded nut, adjusting the length and then tightening again. In this way a kayaker may have access to emergency air coming from inside the kayak when in the submerged position and yet, when not in use, the breathing tube remains free of water. The breathing air coming from inside the kayak may come from the void space existing underneath the top deck, the skirt, and between the inside hull of the kayak, or from an air-supply tank, or carbon dioxide removing filter, disposed inside the kayak. The breathing tube is accessed by the kayaker bending his or her head and torso forward, putting his or her mouth over the mouthpiece and forcing the mouthpiece to the open position by applying downward pressure with his or her teeth. In this way a kayaker may open the valve in the mouthpiece without taking a hand or hands away from holding the kayak paddle. Additionally, there is no danger of the kayaker becoming dangerously entangled in or connected by the breathing tube to the kayak when the kayaker wishes to become free of the kayak.
The present invention provides a kayak comprising a kayak body having a top deck with a deck opening. The kayak includes a kayak skirt disposed on the kayak body and around the kayak opening. The kayak skirt includes a structure defining a skirt opening and a skirt aperture. An emergency air system at least partly is supported by the kayak skirt and includes a structural portion passing through the skirt aperture.
The present invention also provides a kayak comprising a kayak body having a kayak deck defining a deck opening and a deck aperture; and an emergency air system at least partly supported by the kayak deck and including a structural portion passing through the deck aperture.
The present invention further also provides a method for a kayaker sitting in a kayak to receive a supply of air under water after the kayak has overturned. The method comprises providing a kayak having a kayaker with an upper torso extending through a deck opening of a top deck and having an emergency air system disposed within a deck aperture of the top deck or within a skirt aperture of the kayak; capsizing the kayak to cause the upper torso of the kayaker to be submerged in water; bending the upper torso forward until the mouth of the kayaker is in close proximity of a mouthpiece of the emergency air system; disposing the mouthpiece in the mouth of the kayaker such that the kayaker is able to receive a supply of air. The disposing comprises biting of the mouthpiece by the kayaker, or pulling the mouthpiece towards the kayaker""s mouth by a strap or other handle, and then biting the mouthpiece. The bending of the upper torso continues until the upper torso is generally parallel to the top deck.
Another feature of the present invention is a method for retrofitting a kayak with an emergency air system comprising:
providing a kayak having a top deck including a deck opening and having a kayak skirt with a skirt opening;
placing an aperture in either the top deck or the kayak skirt; and
disposing an emergency air system in the aperture.
Further advantages of the present invention are that it is relatively permanent, being secured through an aperture in the skirt or deck. This means that it is not prone to being forgotten at the outset of the voyage. Often, the need for rolling or an emergency breathing device are not apparent at that time. The position taken by the kayaker in order to engage the device is the preferred, defensive tucked position. As the device is secured in an aperture in front of the kayaker, and not on his or her body, the head and torso are given much more flexibility. Extreme flexibility is needed to perform a rolling maneuver, side to side and fore and aft, which the present invention does not restrict. Should a roll fail, the kayaker need only return to the tucked position and re-engage the mouthpiece.
The drawings constitute a part of this specification and include exemplary embodiments to the invention, which may be embodied in various forms. It is to be understood that in some instances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated or enlarged to facilitate an understanding of the invention.